Current-collecting device.



R. P. JACKSON. UURRENT COLLECTING DEVICE.

APPLIGATIOH TILED 11133.12, 1906.

99 145 Patented June 13,1911.

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GU'BRENT-COLLEQTING DEVEGE.

ere-W ts n l d; spe in Ethel; whom tmeo. concerns" v Bev it known that1;, RAE" P. JACKSON, a citizen of the) United States, and a resident o1?Wilkinsburg, in, the. county of Allegheny and State oi} Pennsylvania,have invented; a new and useful Improvement in Current- CollectingDevices, or which the followingis a specification.

invention relates to current collectors that are employed upon railwayvehicles and particularly to such as-are adapted to en gage third railsor similar conductors. o

The object of my invention is to provide a current collector that shallbe adapted to engage a thircli ail that is disposed in eitherright-side-up or inverted position and Whichmay be moved to suchinactive position, when not in use, that it will not protrude beyond theoutline of the vehicle in connection with which it is employed.

Figure 1' of the accompanying drawings. is aview, in. front elevation,of a current collecting device that is constructed in accordance with myinvention and Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view of the device on theline IIII oi. Fig. ll

Secured by means of bolts 1" to a WOOLliEIl or other insulating bar 2that is carrier in :1 suitable manner b tie bocly or other of a vehicle,(not sliown) is a. bracket having downwardly extending arms 4 and 5 inthe extremities of which a pivot pin or rod. '6 is loosely littccl Thecorresponding enrls of a plurality of links are secnrecl to the rod 6intervals by means of pins 8, an other rod 10 being similarly secured inthe other ends thereof. Loosely pivoterl upon the rod 10 are contactarms or shoes 11 and 12, the free encls of which are oi a suitable formto enable them to engage a third rail (not shown) in either rightsid-e-up or invertecl position. The rorl i0 is surrounclecl at intervalsby helical springs 13 the ends of .which are crossed and clisposed uponopposite sides of pins 1% that are formed-integral with or are securedto the extremities of the links 7. The springs thus serve as resilientmeans for opposing pivotal movements of the arms 11 and 12 upon the rod10 and also cause them to exert pressure upon the third railwith whichthey-are aolaptecl to engage regardless of variations in its height, Thecontact arms or shoes are connected to a ter- Sgeeification of Letterslatent.

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: minal. piece 15 that mounted upon the bar 2 by means of flexibleconductors '16. I A U-shaped bracket 1'1, the extremities of f which arealso loosely pivoted upon the rod 110, is connecteil by means of apiston rod 5 18 to a piston 19 Within a cylinder 20., that i is securedto the bracket jby means of bolts 21. The contact arms or shoes arenormally 5 maintained in the positions indicated in broken lines bymeans of a helical compression spring. 22 that isinterposed between thelower side of the piston 1-9 anelz'the end of the cylinder 20, and aremoved; to the positions shown in full lines when fluid-pressure isarlmitted to the cylinder above the piston through a suitable supplypipe 23. lllhen' the parts occupy the former position, they (lo notprotrude beyond the outline of the vehicle in connection with which theyare employerl and consequently not liable to injury that might be causedby striking objects located close to the tracks upon which the vehicleoperates. I

Since the structural (let-ails and arrangements of the parts mayobviously be varied Within considerable limits froin. what has here beenspecifically shown and describeil without altering the mode of operation01 the invention or (lerarting materially from its l clesire thet'onlysuch limitations shall he imposed are expressly set forth in theappencled claims.

claim my invention:

l current col tor h vino; a s l uteri contact arm comprising" two {Elotally connector-l iner hcrs, resilient means for opposing pivotal inycnicnt between the soicl members in either rlirection and o sting meansconnecterlto the pivotal joint between the members,

2 A current cello tor lie-v mounted contact arm coinpll two pivotallyconnected members, rcsilil t means for opposing pivotal movement betweenthe sairl. members in either clircction, actuating means for saiclcontest arm connected to the joint between its members e116; meanstending to hold said arm in an inactive-position.

pivotally 3. A current collector pivotally' flow-pressuresctuetecl meansfor holding votally the contact arm in operative position and means formoving said arm to an inactive position upon withdrawal of fluidpressure.

4. The combination with a current-collecting device that may engage asupply conductor upon either its upper or its lower face, of a cylinder,a piston located in said cylinder and actuated in one direction byfluid-pressure, a spring also located in said cylinder for actuatingsaid piston in the optaining the piston at one end of its stroke.

6. The combmatlon with a two-part contact shoe havin a joint between theparts and a double-acting spring serving to oppose relative movement ofsaid parts in either direction, of a spring acting upon said joint tohold the shoe in one extreme position and fluid-pressure-actuated meansto oppose the action of said spring.

7 The combination with a pivoted contact shoe havin a joint intermediateits ends and a double-acting spring serving to oppose relative movementof the jointed parts in either direction, a spring acting upon saidjoint to move the shoe in one directionand a fluid-pressure-actuatedmeans for moving the shoe in opposition to the spring.

In -testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this lOthdayof April, 1906.

RAY P. JACKSON.

lVitnesses:

HENRY S. BAKER, BIRNEY HINES;

